Feb 17 Tuesday
With Katie Deutschman
Perfect for expanding your grant writing skills, this intermediate workshop dives into the art of proposal writing by exploring the planning phases and each component of a winning proposal. This hands-on workshop will give you the opportunity to learn about how proposals relate to strategic and program planning, grant writing terminology and the basic components of a proposal. You will apply your new knowledge right away as you develop a draft proposal.
Come prepared to write! Please bring copies of your organization’s mission statement, project descriptions, and background materials. Please also bring paper and pen/pencil or a laptop.
Note: This workshop is designed for individuals who have had at least some experience writing and submitting grant proposals. Please register here: https://www.callutheran.edu/centers/nonprofit/workshops/event/2026-01-20-intermediate-proposal-writing-three-module-series
Part I: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Part II: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Part III: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Were Homer’s epic poems myth, or did they describe real historical events? This two-part lecture series dives into the question of Homer's authenticity, comparing key passages from the Iliad and the Odyssey with the latest archaeological evidence from Greece. We'll analyze Homer’s vivid descriptions of palaces, armor, and burial rites against the backdrop of the Mycenaean Bronze Age (c. 1600-1100 BCE). Emphasis will be placed on recent, groundbreaking discoveries that bring Homer’s passages to light. By linking the epic poems' memory of a heroic age with the material reality unearthed by modern excavations, this course explores how a seemingly mythical tradition may preserve the "kernel of truth" from a magnificent, lost civilization.
This lecture can be attended either in-person at the Thousand Oaks campus or virtually via Zoom.
The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.
Feb 18 Wednesday
As the leading figure of an entire movement, Andy Warhol is synonymous with the development of Pop Art in America. Beginning his career as a commercial artist, Warhol rose to fame in multiple media. His vast works are an homage to the everyday world, but also comment seriously on the transience of celebrity and the power of mass media. This lecture will be an overview of the career of Andy Warhol.
Feb 19 Thursday
The Greenhouse Effect and its impact on Earth's surface temperature have been understood for over a century. Long before satellites, computer models or even computers existed, scientists recognized that the massive increase in fossil fuel combustion beginning with the Industrial Revolution would lead to a warming planet and a changing climate. This lecture reviews the evolution of climate change science from the early 1800s to the present, profiling 12 scientists—from Joseph Fourier to Klaus Hasselmann. Key scientific issues will be discussed in the context of these historical figures and their contributions to our understanding of climate change. In addition, the impacts of climate change on humankind and the measures that need to be taken to mitigate it will be discussed.
This lecture takes place virtually via Zoom.
Feb 24 Tuesday
At the beginning of 2026, U.S. Special Forces conducted a covert mission in Venezuela that ended in the capture of its President, Nicolás Maduro, and his extradition to the U.S. where he will be tried for drug trafficking charges. Since then, U.S. President Donald Trump has further escalated his ongoing campaign to seize control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a long-term NATO ally. His effort to gain control of Greenland has left many in both the United States and around the world flummoxed, wondering why he is so obsessed with the remote Arctic island. Please join Dr. David Livingstone for this informative lecture in which he will discuss the strategic motivations and consequences driving U.S. foreign policy in the Arctic. How have the effects of climate change and competition for natural resources influenced renewed interest in Greenland by the United States, its allies and adversaries? Are we witnessing what some are referring to as a new “Trump Doctrine” or is it part of the blueprint outlined in project 2025 aimed at establishing global “spheres of influence?” Looking at the history of the Cold War, Dr. Livingstone will try and provide ways we can think about the Arctic as a new frontline in a global power struggle.
Feb 25 Wednesday
Uncertainty is inevitable—but strategic action is a choice. Nonprofit leadership today requires navigating a world of constant change—shifting funding streams, political pressures, rising community needs, and managing agile teams. Too often, this means pressure to operate in constant rapid-response mode, leaving little time to step back and plan with intention.
This interactive workshop offers a practical real-time framework for strategic and scenario planning that helps you stay anchored in your mission and values, even when circumstances are uncertain. Together, we’ll explore:
-How to identify and fiercely protect your organization’s core work and values during times of uncertainty.-Tools for mapping financial and programmatic scenarios—from best case to worst case—and planning clear -responses.-Strategies for aligning executive staff and board members so efforts are aligned to core values and priorities.
Gain expert insight into leading through uncertainty and be equipped with scenario planning approaches and a template to focus you and your team's planning and strategic response.
Workshop with Julie Ha Truong.
Mar 02 Monday
Yes, we’ve all whistled, hummed, and sung along with the popular songs we know and love. But over the years, most listeners of American popular music—from the 1930s to today—have had little sense of how these songs were created or who was behind them. Who was actually writing these hits?
We may recognize legendary names like the Gershwins or Cole Porter, but the craft of songwriting itself was rarely discussed. For decades, most songs were created by songwriting teams, with one person composing the music and another writing the lyrics. Famous examples include Burt Bacharach & Hal David and Carole King & Gerry Goffin.
However, there are numerous instances where the English lyrics were written by American songwriters, but the melodies originated elsewhere. Over time, these traditional teams faded in prominence, giving way to a new type of creator: the singer-songwriter—artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, ABBA, and Taylor Swift—who write and perform their own hits.
In this course, we’ll take a deep dive into the surprising origins of many beloved melodies and explore whether these borrowed tunes offered advantages over “homegrown” ones. Did these similarities lead to lawsuits? Did songwriters borrow—or steal—from classical composers?
Join us as we unravel this nostalgic musical mystery!
This course can be attended virtually via Zoom.
Satan, or the Devil, has been a character that has been feared for centuries. Many of the major religions have recognized an evil force that stands against God and seeks to undermine His actions. Nevertheless, it was not always this way. Satan is a Hebrew term, and didn’t always refer to an evil being. Demons, or Satan’s henchmen, weren’t always necessarily evil––in fact, a belief in demons entered into established religion hundreds of years after many of the first traditions. In this course, we’ll look at the evolution of the idea of Satan––where thinking developed on the topic, and how it changed over time. We’ll explore Judaism, Christianity, and other major religions, understanding the origin of the idea of Satan and how it has changed over time.
This course can be attended either in-person at the Thousand Oaks campus or virtually via Zoom.
Mar 03 Tuesday
How did an undercapitalized West Coast rock publication, edited by a 21-year-old college dropout, become one of the most important magazines of its era? This course will explore that question by probing Rolling Stone’s origins, tracking its turbulent development, and mapping its immense influence on American popular culture and journalism. In particular, we will consider the magazine’s major figures and influences, its tangled relationship with the counterculture, its conception of rock music, and its political and cultural coverage.
